Where is the US economy headed?

Yep, Obama's efforts have failed, unless trashing the economy was his plan all along, right M Jackoff.

Yes I do agree, I will try harder. I guess that my Ancient Greek political philosophy is not up to date!

(This section only answers how they named forms of government. This is only a partiality.) The Greeks defined differing governments by their dominant factor. Aristotle writes: "Now a constitution (Politea) is the ordering of a state (Polis) in respect of its various magistracies, and especially the magistracy that is supreme over all matters. For the government is everywhere supreme over the state and the constitution is the government". 3 Our customary designation for a monarchy that aims at the common advantage is 'kingship'; for a government of more than one yet only a few 'aristocracy', ...while when the multitude govern the state with a view to the common advantage, it is called by the name common to all the forms of constitution, 'politeia' (society). 4 Where a government has only a king, the dominant factor, it is called a monarchy. Where a government has only a few nobles ruling, the dominant factor, it is called an aristocracy. Where the society is the dominant factor it is called a politeia. Where the demos, i.e. the common people, are the dominant factor, it is called a democracy.

The Greek word for State is "Polis". Aristotle writes "A collection of persons all alike does not constitute a state". 5 This Greek word, "Politeia" is then named for every government that includes numerous classes of people involved in governing and a basic foundational law, which is called a constitution that defines and delegates rights and responsibilities of those classes. A republic is one that does not have a dominant factor.

(Hence, the phrase "democratic republic" is an oxymoron. A democracy is when the common people are dominant and a republic is mixed government wherein there is no dominant element. Therefore to say a "democratic republic" is an oxymoron. The confusion lies in that the word πολιτεια also means "constitution" in Greek. For that reason, it is better to say "constitutional democracy" other than "democratic republic".)

(For further expose, q.v. Ancient Greek political philosophy)

How about a suggestion tonight that would actually do everyone a favor in this country, and might even be significant economically? I started a thread in 2006 suggesting we end tenth of a cent pricing for gasoline, and I think the suggestion is still pertinent. Sometimes the best ideas are small ones that turn out to be bigger than predicted. Big things can sometimes come in the form of small packages. Here are my reasons for eliminating tenth cent pricing for gasoline at the retail level:

You cannot cut a penny in half or tenths, so it cannot be paid for accurately in tenths.
Pricing in tenths exceeds the accuracy of flowmeters.
Pricing in tenths is misleading and deceitful. It would be infinitely easier to know if the pumps are delivering the right price total for the gallons delivered.
How many other commodities are priced in tenths of a penny? I can think of none. For example, milk or anything else in a grocery store, nothing I can think of.
Consider the savings of energy costs to light up tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of pricing signs all over this country. If we can mandate light bulbs to save energy, why not something simple like this that everyone would surely like?
Consider all the work, space, sign and pump display costs, and trouble, to advertise and post prices in tenths of a cent.
Nine tenths of a cent does not seem like a significant amount economically, but I am guessing it leads to millions or even billions of dollars if added up all over the country. Retailers no longer would have the pshycological advantage of using $3.99 and 9/10 of a cent and have most people believe it is costing them $3.99. The retailer would have to choose between $3.99 and $4.00 or something else, and the price would be more accurate, priced by a whole cent or penny per gallon.

My original thread is here, and it is still there after a few comments and folks not caring, but it is still a pet peave of mine when I see all the ridiculous gasoline pricing signs everywhere. Maybe a movement to change it could be started? I think its worth posting it here in the economy thread, to see how many here would like it? Let me clarify wholesalers can still sell in fractions of a penny, but consumers deserve better in my opinion. The least they can do is charge us an even penny amount per gallon. All it would take is a law, and there are many more goofy laws than this one would be!!!
http://able2know.org/topic/70364-1#post-1897523

okie, aren't you guys the ones who think that we have too many regulations restricting free enterprise?

MJ, The conservatives are full of contradictions. One doesn't have to wait very long to see them contradicting their own policies, statements, and claims on one issue or another. They don't have any idea what "consistency" means in their vocabulary.

Looks like the market has dropped after a few hours of Obama/Osama hysteria.

H2, has it wiped out the remarkable gains it's made in the last two years under Obama?

The market is currently higher than it was last week.
Higher than it was last month.
Higher than it was last year.
Higher than it was 2 years ago.
Higher than it was in March of 2007.
Higher than it was 4 years ago.
Higher than it was for most of Bush's years in office.

Let's hope the market keeps dropping like it has under Obama.

Also in today's business headlines:

GM, Ford sales jump on small car demand
Businesses ordered more factory goods in March

Looks like Obama's insidious plan to destroy our economy by making it grow is succeeding. Wow, H2 Oboy, you sure know how to call 'em.

I read the same report, that the US auto companies were doing very well since their "almost" bankruptcy. The worsening US dollar has helped tremendously to boost our exports, but if our government doesn't rein in the deficit, that could change very quickly.

You Obama apologist make me laugh... you make it sound like your messiah has saved the world.


Reality is going to burst your bubble fantasy world soon, what will you do then, what will you do?

I do agree with you! I am a little mad that Obama was able to get Osama Bin Laden in only three years when our man Busch had no success in 8 years! What a sorry man you voted for! Just kidding around!

Decoded into street cred. English that means Americans are working harder for the same money on behalf of foreign consumers or are getting less money for the same work. Or a cocktail of the two.

Those who work that is.

You can trust somebody who doesn't work to say it helps tremendously.

The steam has started hissing out of some of the weaker points already Aightooh. Was it reckless? That seems to be the question.

spendi, Why is it that you can show how ignorant you really are! The economic strength that supports one's country helps everyone in that country.

You are not only ignorant about evolution, but economics too - and probably many other subjects!

I predicted that somebody like you would say something stupid like that. It is not a matter of free enterprise, it is a matter of an ethical and honest pricing policy for consumers, that is consistent with our ability to measure the product at the pump. Would you favor a car being priced $9,999.99 and 999 thousanths of a penny? That would be ridiculous, and gasoline pricing is approaching almost that ridiculous.

Look, if the government can force us to buy light bulbs that are filled with hazardous materials that might need to have hazmet clean up if broken, we should be able to expect to be able to buy gasoline by cents per gallon instead of tenths of a penny per gallon. This comes under fair pricing practices, whereby products need to be priced in whole monetary denominations, and a penny is as small as it comes. There are no coins that are worth a tenth of a penny.

Conservatives are far more consistent than libs. Besides, it seems to me that it is within the authority of government to insure fair pricing and advertising policies at the retail level, in terms of what can be measured and delivered to the consumer. We already check service station gasoline measurement with flowmeters, and if those devices' degree of accuracy do not support accuracies in tenths of a penny, then the pricing in tenths of a penny should not be allowed.

Would you not agree, Okie, that there are many situations in life where ethical and honest policies for consumers, based in the concept of fair practices, should be considered over what might be the best thing for free enterprise?

Cycloptichorn

it's true, okie. conservatives are far more consistently full of contradictions than liberals.

In practice I agree, but I suspect the disagreement between us here is when should the government become involved and when is it most appropriate for consumers to judge the situtations involved. Most of the time, I think it is the job for consumers. However, in the case of tenth of cent pricing per gallon of gasoline, I am coming down on the side of government insuring a price in whole cents per gallon. There are many reasons I have given, but basically are there any other products that are priced in stores in tenths of a penny? Can anyone think of anything? I doubt it. If anyone can, I would like to know what it is.